


Dragonfire and Magic

by Atriel



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe, Bellatrix has a daughter, Bipolar Disorder, Canon Relationships, Dursleys A+ parenting, Dursleys are shit parents, Empath, Geisha, Harry has a sister, Inheritance, Lady Black, Multi, OC centric, Parings TBD, Physical Abuse, Politics, Psychopath, Sexual Abuse, Slice of Life, Trans Character, Verbal Abuse, amoral, characters with colour, psychological abuse, undiagnosed bipolar disorder, until otherwise decided
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-11-08
Updated: 2017-05-05
Packaged: 2018-04-30 14:49:09
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 9,237
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5167856
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Atriel/pseuds/Atriel
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The famous Harry Potter has an elder sister named Dorea. Named for her grandmother, Dorea is the perfect candidate for the Head of House Black. She knows that she's going to need all the power she can get, political or otherwise, so she can protect her beloved brother, so she accepts and becomes Lady Black before she's even stepped foot on Hogwarts' grounds. She knows the elaborate dance that is politics, she knows that the Prophet will hound her if she tries to upstage her brother, so she settles into the shadows – somewhere she quite enjoys – and plays the adults like marionettes. It's not hard when you have the ultimate poker face.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue: A Broken Family

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: Harry Potter is property of wonderful author J K Rowling, I make no claims to any of it and am writing purely for my own amusement. Anything recognizable is not my own and the only things I lay claim to are my creative license and my own Original Characters (OCs). This applies to all chapters.
> 
> Warning: The entire story will have mentions and very clear references to violent and horrific child abuse. It won't be described in very much detail at all, but the after affects play a large part in the plot line. There are also passing references to rape and psychological trauma, so if you are sensitive to any if the above I suggest you proceed with caution. There will be an additional warning in every chapter that may have triggering content.

Once upon a time there lived a family. They were small family, just a Mother, a Father, a Daughter, and a Son. They lived in peace and contentment, their hearts blending into one. Together they were capable of an almost endless love; for one another, for others. But, as every story does, theirs came to an end. It wasn't a happy ending, however, as the Mother and Father lost their lives, and the Daughter and Son lost their innocence.

The sun had just set on All Hallows' Eve when the Man Who Split His Soul came for them. He crossed the threshold with nary a knock and swept into the front parlour. With a flash of green the family's heart broke and a piece was lost forever. The rest of the family - the Mother, the Daughter, the Son - felt the loss and they wept, mourning the Father. The Mother gathered the Daughter in her arms and ran to the Son, placing the Daughter down and telling her to hide, and so she did. The Daughter sat in the dark with the spiders and waited for the Man Who Split His Soul to leave, hoping against hope that the family's heart would break no more. But her hopes were dashed and her heart broken as the Mother fell to a flash of green light. She wept and wept, sure that the Son would fall soon after, and that the heart would be left to her and her alone... but the break never came, and the Son never fell, and when the sun would rise in the morn the Daughter and the Son would be no longer, their only identities the Brother and the Sister.

The Brother and the Sister would stay with the Aunt, the Uncle, and the Cousin. But the Aunt wouldn't feed, and the Uncle would hate, and the Cousin would laugh. So the Brother and the Sister would hide in the dark with the spiders and the heart that had lost two pieces. And they would stay, and they would cook, and they would clean, and they would eat not, and want not, lest the Uncle hate more and the Aunt feed less. Until the Uncle looked at the Sister, and with the hate there was lust. Slowly, very slowly, the heart left the Sister, until the Sister would look and not see, until she could barely feel and her eyes grew dark without sadness, without anger, without anything.

For years they stayed that way, cooking only to not eat, cleaning only to not be clean, and for years they suffered. The heart seeped into the Brother and he felt all, the heart had left the Sister so she felt nothing. Their skin was pale like milk and honey with blue and purple flowers blooming from wherever the Uncle had touched. Their bodies were all sharp angles and none of the smooth curves of childhood that had disappeared along with the food the Aunt refused to feed them. But still they struggled on, not knowing that theirs was an uncommon situation, not knowing that theirs was an unacceptable situation.

By the time the letter arrived it was too late. The Sister felt nothing and the Brother felt everything, they were broken beyond repair and they trusted no one. They had no hope and nothing seemed to be able to change that, but when the letter arrived, a spark ignited in the Brother's eyes, one that hadn't existed for years, one that would never exist again in the Sister. He looked to the Sister and she looked to the Brother, and together they brought the heart that had lost two pieces out of the dark with the spiders and together they returned to the world from whence they came.


	2. Revelations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Potter siblings get introduced to the Wizarding World and learn some things about themselves that they didn't expect.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There is a small reference to sexual abuse in the beginning, as well as physical abuse.

_**Saturday, November 5th, 1988** _

Petunia Dursley had always loved playing dress-up. She had begged her parents every Christmas and birthday for the Limited Edition Barbie™ dolls — she probably still had some in their original boxes in the attic. She had loved dressing up her younger sister, Lily, until she had to go to that freak school — something that Petunia was jealous of, even if she'd only admit it on pain of death. So it went without saying that when her sister's daughter was shoved unceremoniously into her life, she took great pleasure in dressing her up like a little doll each and every day, and teaching her little niece how to be the perfect obedient housewife.

Of course, the girl was still a freak, so Petunia made sure she only had enough food to look good in the dresses, and that when Vernon had 'alone time' with the girl and her freak brother, he didn't mark the girl anywhere visible. Petunia was certain that Vernon at least beat the two of them, but she didn't allow him to be alone with the girl, so anything he did to her had to be done in front of the brother. Petunia was confident that it would deter him from going too far, even if she was pretty.

The two had arrived with a letter saying that their names were 'Dorea' and 'Hadrian', Petunia couldn't allow anyone in her house to bear such freakish names, so she gave them good, English names like her Dudders had. Hadrian became Harry, and Dorea became Daisy, as it was a tradition in the Evans household to give the girls flower names. Petunia had a feeling that Daisy still remembered her first name, but she couldn't be certain, the girl had only been four at the time.

Nonetheless, it was Petunia's weakness for dolls that had somewhat spread to encompass her niece that lead her to bring the two to where the entrance to the Leaky Cauldron was supposedly located. She was standing in front of the book store on Charing Cross Road with her eleven year old niece and eight year old nephew. As always, the girl looked politely calm, almost unnervingly so, and the boy had his heart on his sleeve, excitement and fear taking up equal parts of his expression.

"I expect you two to be good, don't be a burden to anybody, and find your way back home in time to make dinner. Go to the bank first, I don't know what happened to my good for nothing sister's money, but I never saw a penny of it. When you get back, your freakish stuff will be locked in the cupboard under the stairs and Harry will move into your bedroom, Daisy."

The two nodded, Daisy still calm and Harry trying not to betray his excitement at rooming with his sister. Those two were too close for her liking, and for all she knew the freaks would encourage them to commit incest, if they hadn't already.

Petunia turned away in disgust and her niece and nephew disappeared into a building she couldn't see. Now that the freaks were gone, she could spend the Saturday with her Dudders while Vernon was at work. She got back into the car and drove away.

 

* * *

 

Dorea, or Daisy as she had been called for the past six years, walked into the Leaky Cauldron with almost no idea as to what she was supposed to do. She pulled her brother close to her side in the crowded bar and whispered softly to him in the way she knew would have the most effect.

"Hadrian, I need you to become Jack. Can you do that for me, darling?"

Hadrian, always eager to please, nodded as enthusiastically as he could through his fear, and screwed his eyes shut in concentration. A moment later a brunet boy with blue eyes and unremarkable features looked up at her. She smiled down at him, fading her own features into his equally as unremarkable mousy haired sister, Emma.

When Dorea figured out that her brother had the same shifting ability as her, albeit a very limited version, she had quickly worked to create their disguises. She chose their names by taking note of all the children's names in their school, and finding the most common ones.

The disguises were very useful for when they didn't want to be recognized, and Dorea occasionally took her brother to get sweets or to the park. Sometimes she even took them to the zoo, if she saved up enough money. Jack and Emma Smith would come in handy for their current trip, Dorea didn't know anything about were they were, and she certainly didn't trust these people with her brother.

The only nice thing about the crowded pub was that with all the people there they were unlikely to be noticed. Dorea took her brother by the hand and lead him through the sea of people out into the back, as Aunt Petunia had said. They didn't have to wait long for someone to open the gate into Diagon Alley, but the world behind the brick wall was something the two were hopelessly unprepared for.

Beside her, Hadrian gasped, and Dorea knew even without looking the exact expression that he must be wearing. She didn't even need to think, it was instinctual the way she pasted a similar but muted expression of awe on her own face. She squeezed his hand and led him down the street. They passed vendors selling all sorts of things, signs proclaiming sales on newt eyes and powdered bat spleens, others advertising the best cauldrons and the newest broom model.

Hadrian's head was whipping about so fast she feared he might get whiplash. She guessed that maybe in another life she might be doing the same, but as it was she barely felt a stir of interest.

Dorea weaved through the throngs of people, Hadrian trailing close behind, never once letting go of her hand. She pushed her brown hair out of her eyes and sidestepped a wizard in pale blue robes only to pause infinitesimally at the sight of the great white marble building in front of her. It towered above everything in the alley, only having escaped her gaze because of the height difference between her and the surrounding mages. Once again, she assumed the appropriate expression of awe as Hadrian let out a quiet " _whoa_ ," at the sight in front of them.

Hadrian tugged on her hand and she turned, the pink bows bouncing in her hair. He looked up at her with his big eyes that he never managed to change more than the colour of, and asked the first question he had all day. Even then she had to strain to hear his soft voice over the noise of the crowd.

"We're going in there? Freaks aren't allowed to go in nice places. This place looks nice, mum."

His other hand played with the hem of his shirt as he looked at her questioningly, biting his lip and looking genuinely confused. She pulled him off to the side and bent down a little to put her hands on his shoulders and look him in the eye.  
"Hadrian, darling, Aunt Petunia gave us permission to go into the nice building, we have to get money. Besides, these people are freaks like us, this is a freak building."

He looked around again, his eyes wide as he took everything in with a new perspective.

"Freaks? Like... _us_?" He whispered, almost reverently. Dorea nodded and smiled at him, knowing he liked her smiles. His returning smile was beatific.

"C'mon darling, let's go. And Hadrian? The proper terms for a freak are mage, witch, or wizard." She tugged him lightly towards the pristine bank.

 

* * *

 

The goblins sneered at them as they walked in. Granted, they sneered at everyone, but Hadrian was particularly affected because Uncle Vernon liked to sneer. Dorea and Hadrian both knew that Uncle Vernon's sneer meant bad things were going to happen.

Dorea kept a tight grip on her brother's hand, both to calm him down and to keep from losing him. She walked straight up to the nearest teller and stared down the goblin who was working there. The plaque on his desk read _Teller Garnod_.

"Miss Potter, what is it that you require?"

"What I require, Teller Garnod, is entrance into my vault. How might I go about this?" She gazed up at him, calm and expressionless. His eyes gleamed with curiosity, but the rest of his face betrayed as much as hers did.

"Do you have your key?" She shook her head and he sneered. "We have another way of testing, but it is not very well liked by the Ministry. Come with me."

Dorea squeezed Hadrian's hand as they followed the goblin through a pair of ornate double doors near the back of the bank. They were lead through a maze of hallways, each wall holding an innumerable amount of doors. They made no less than fifteen turns — sometimes going in circles, though somehow never passing through the same corridor twice — before they reached their destination.

"The ministry believes that all forms of blood magic should be banned, they have successfully made a very large number illegal, but there are some they can only heavily discourage. One of those is a form of identity confirmation that we use here at Gringotts." Garnod crossed the room and sat behind a large mahogany desk. He placed a thick amethyst bowl, a long sheet of parchment, and a flaming red quill down in front of him.

"Place three drops of blood in the bowl, dip the Phoenix feather in the blood like you would ink, and write your name on the parchment. Only you need to do it, Miss Potter, your identity will confirm your brother's."

Dorea nodded and cut her pointer finger on the sharp edge of the bowl. She watched as the deep red splashed on the amethyst with a detached form of interest, she then signed her name on the top of the parchment. The blood spiralled out, forming lines and words that Dorea couldn't quite catch before the goblin snatched it up to examine it.

" _Potter...Black...special abilities...heiress...vaults..._ " She heard the teller mutter to himself. "Well, you two are definitely who you say you are, but there are some things that need to be sorted out before you visit your vaults. Come with me."

Garnod strode out of the room, the two siblings hot in his heels. Hadrian was burning with curiosity, while Dorea was trying to figure out whether or not this would benefit her in the long run. It was taking an incredible amount of time, but it was quite possible that the things they were discussing would be of great value, and if the way Garnod was talking meant anything, then they would be useful very soon.

Twelve turns, forty six doors, and a shouting match later, Dorea figured out what exactly it was she would be gaining. Status. Along with power, property, and a very large amount of money. These were all the things that Dorea liked best, and when it came to the things she liked, Dorea always made sure she came out on top.

First, she would do anything and everything to secure her fortune and title. Then she would move herself and her brother into the best and most protected house she owned. Finally, she would learn all about this new culture, to make sure that she knew what she was getting into.

"Miss Potter, Teller Garnod's finds are quite extraordinary. You seem to have gained quite a large inheritance, from your immediate family of course, but also from some that would not normally be associated closely with the Potters." Director Ragnok turned away from Garnod and sat behind his desk again, having stood up when the other goblin barged in with the news.

"The Proof of Lineage test is designed to show all the information concerning a witch or wizard's parentage, ancestors, holdings, et cetera. Most half-bloods such as yourself only have one or two houses to inherit from, depending on how prestigious their wizarding parent is. You, however, have no less than five. Now, you can only become the head of three, as the other two ask for a male Heir, so your brother will become Lord of those two houses.

"The Black Family is in need of a Head as all the other members are either dead, in Azkaban, married to other Lords, disowned, or any mixture of the four. Young Nymphadora Tonks is unable to take up the position, despite having reached her secondary Majority, as her mother was disowned, Draco Malfoy has yet to reach his primary Majority, and Lady Lestrange's child was adopted by Mrs. Tonks, rendering her claim null and void.

"You are the first in line to be Head, as your Grandmother, whose name you carry, was born a Black. Should you choose to accept and become Lady Black, then you will be emancipated and thus able to claim the other two Houses, Weigand and Selwyn."

Dorea, who had stood calmly through the whole explanation, adopted a determined expression. She knew that to get the best outcome she had to manipulate everything to her advantage.

"Director Ragnok, what do I need to do in order to accept these Houses?"

' _Chin up, lightly clench jaw, lower eyebrows ever so slightly, look him straight in the eye._ '

He bared his teeth and pushed the parchment towards her. "Read this, and then you need to swear a vow of lordship before putting on the Head of House ring. If the ring accepts you then you're emancipated and thus able to do the same for the other two houses."

She picked up the parchment and quickly read through it.

_Name:  
Dorea Lily Potter_

_Date of Birth:  
2 November 1977_

_Parents:  
James Charlus and Lily Marie Evans Potter_

_Paternal Grandparents:  
Charlus Fleamont and Dorea Euphemia Black Potter_

_Maternal Grandparents:  
Gwillym Valerian and Hyacinth Edelweiss Weigand Evans_

_Sibling(s):  
Hadrian James Potter_

_Blood Status:  
Pureblood_

_Heir Apparent to the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black_  
_Heir Apparent to the Noble and Most Ancient House of Weigand_  
_Heir Apparent to the Noble and Most Ancient House of Selwyn_  
_Of the Noble and Most Ancient House of Potter_  
_Of the Noble and Most Ancient House of Peverell_

 _Magical Abilities:_  
_Full Metamorphmagus_  
_Latent Animagus_

 _Magical Blocks:_  
_Magical Core_

She looked back up to Ragnok and nodded.

"I would like to accept my Ladyships now if you please. Are there any books on our family members in the vaults? I should like to research them."

Ragnok nodded back at her and tapped the lid on an ornate box on his desk. He opened it and removed three rings from within. The first had a silver band encrusted with an onyx jewel surrounded by a cluster of tiny diamonds. The second was a thin rose gold band with a delicate white flower placed in the middle, on either side of the flower were six rose quartz stones. The third had a gold band in the shape of two intertwining vines with tiny emerald leaves, an elaborate S was carved into a large jade oval set on the top of the ring.

"This is the Black Family ring, worn by the Lady of the House," he handed her the silver and onyx ring. "Generally the Lady has little to no power, depending on her husband, but since you are becoming the Lady before getting married, you will have all the power instead of your spouse."

Dorea nodded her understanding and slipped the ring on her finger. Almost instantly she felt the ring send out a pulse of magic, checking her for compatibility. She felt the magic shudder over her and smiled, the ring had accepted her. She held out her hand and the Director placed the other two rings in her palm.

Next was the rose gold Weigand ring, it seemed to purr as she put it on. It melded with the Black ring, the white flower gaining an onyx centre. Last came the jade Selwyn ring. It, too, purred as she put it on, and it too melded with the other two rings. The result was a band of three vines intertwining, one silver, one gold, and one rose gold. There were tiny emerald leaves and rose quartz flowers dotted around the vines. Topping the ring was the white flower with a creamy onyx jade centre.

Dorea wasn't afraid or ashamed of vanity, and knew that this ring was the most beautiful thing she had every seen, let alone owned. This ring would open doors for her that some people wouldn't even know existed. She smirked internally, keeping her expression appropriately reverent.

"And now, Lady Black, I believe it would be good for both you and your brother to be checked by one of our doctors. We know that you have a block on your magical core, it would be good to have it removed. Teller Garnod will show you the way."

Garnod opened the door and Dorea took Hadrian's hand. She faced the Director and bade him farewell in the proper goblin fashion.

"Thank you Director Ragnok, may your vaults overflow with gold." Ragnok gave a chilling grin. Dorea was almost out the door when he responded.

"You're very welcome Lady Black. May your enemies die screaming by your hand."


	3. A Meeting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Potter siblings meet some new friends, and Dorea solves a problem.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There is a small insinuation of rape and child abuse around the middle of the chapter.

_**Saturday, April 1st, 1989** _

Nearly five months after they first entered the wizarding world, Dorea and her brother returned to Diagon Alley. This wasn't their first trip back, however, or even their fifth, as Harry had developed a penchant for certain wizarding sweets, and Dorea had developed a penchant for certain wizarding books.

They were sitting, as had become habit, in front of Florean Fortescue's ice cream parlour after finishing their shopping for the day. Dorea had two scoops of Honeydukes' Best Chocolate with crumbled Ice Mice and Peppermint Toad toppings. Harry went the more interesting way with a scoop of Green Slime — something Dorea had never bothered to try but Harry assured her was delicious — and Cockroach Cluster topping. Harry liked to switch up his choices, he was overwhelmed by the sudden allowance of sweets.

He bit down on his cone, causing a small explosion behind them — or at least it seemed like it, as they happened simultaneously. The explosion wasn't anything panic worthy, just the kind that would result from opening a prank present box on the telly. The receiver didn't seem to find it funny, however, as a wizard in bright fuscia robes gave a girly shriek that Dorea herself couldn't have managed. His face turned a sort of strawberry-flamingo colour, and if she looked close enough she might have seen steam coming out of his ears — an unfortunate side affect of the prank.

A shrill woman's voice pierced through the noise of the crowd.

"GEORGE!"

"I'm Fred!"

"Honestly woman-"

"You call yourself our mother?" The two voices chorused happily.

There was the sound of a boy's hearty laughter and Dorea could see a large patch of red in the sea of browns and blondes.

Harry turned his big — currently blue — doe eyes to her and she nodded. He gave a big grin and raced towards the redheads, Green Slime ice cream cone in hand. Dorea placed her dainty conjured glass bowl down and followed him. She spotted his metamorphed brown hair after she spotted the small cluster of redheads, chatting away with the one who was obviously the mother.

' _Widen eyes, smile, bouncy steps, hands clasped_.'

"Where's your mother?"

"Right over there! Mum!" Dorea frowned inwardly, they had talked about this.

"Hadrian, what did I say about calling me that in public?" She whispered to him, the redhead matriarch looking confused and slightly worried.

"But the Dursleys!.. Sorry Sissy." He mumbled, relenting at her scolding look.

She turned back to the woman with a smile on her face, as though nothing had happened.

"Hullo madam, my name is Dorea, and this is my brother, Hadrian. Normally I'm not this impulsive, but Hadrian seems to like you, and he's a good judge of character. I would like to invite you and your family to my home for an hour, or perhaps more, immediately. We can return you to your shopping if you aren't finished. I'm afraid I must insist, as it is rather urgent."

Dorea finished with an especially innocent smile and the woman looked shaken. She seemed unable to comprehend how one so young could talk so eloquently, as Dorea thought, or perhaps it was the situation in its entirety.

The woman seemed to gather herself together, though still quite unnerved.

"Young lady, I-!" She stopped abruptly when Dorea flashed her Head of House ring.

"I must insist, madam. Immediately." She held out her hand, palm down, and Harry quickly touched the ring. Seeing what they were doing, the redhead woman motioned for her three children to do the same. With all their fingers on the ring, Dorea whispered the Selwyn family motto, _Fiat Voluntas Dei_ , and the portkey activated.

They landed in front of a large manor in the welsh countryside. There were wrought iron gates behind them and in front was a small stone landing with a pair of dark oak double doors set in old stone walls.

The redheads were nonplussed, looking around with much the same awe that Harry had had their first trip to Diagon. Dorea grabbed her brother by the hand and they entered the house together. The foyer floor was one huge slab of smoky white marble with a curved staircase leading up to a mezzanine. There were mahogany and jade banisters with a rich dark green carpet draped down the middle of the stairs, a couple inches of white marble showing on each side.

Dorea beckoned them up the staircase and into a room with pale green walls and rosewood furniture. She and Harry sat down on a high backed fainting couch packed with cushions in various shades of green. She tucked her feet under her and eyed the woman as she sat her three children down in the opposing couch and sunk into an angled armchair that faced both the two siblings and the dark stone fireplace.

"Let me start. Madam, what is your name? I'm afraid I don't know who you are," she turned to look at Harry, "you can turn back to normal, darling." Harry gave her a big smile and his features melted back to their original form. Dorea, as a full metamorphmagus, didn't have an original form, so instead she shifted her features to her preferred form. She had no inhibitions against making herself 'perfect', so she used the form they expected her to take as a base and built from there.

A perfect white woman's nose with a smooth slope and slightly upturned end, wide green eyes edged with thick long eyelashes. A ruby red mouth with cupid's bow lips, high cheekbones and creamy pale skin free of imperfections. She decided she liked the flaming red hair of the family before her over the dark red she had been sporting before and wore that.

The woman gaped. "M-Mo-Molly," she cleared her throat. "My name is Molly Weasley, and these are three of my sons, Fred, George, and Ronald."

Dorea cocked her head to the side. "Weasley? Née Prewett, I believe. Sister to Fabian and Gideon. Pureblood, one of the Sacred Twenty-Eight. You have... Seven children? You live in poverty, however. Previous Weasleys made bad investments with their fortune." She talked like she was reading off a file. Harry perked up at the information.

"Bright red hair! William is in his last year, he has job offers from Gringotts. Charles really likes dragons." Harry recited the information slowly and proudly, his eyebrows furrowed and his head bobbing slightly for emphasis. He turned to his sister, " _I really like dragons, mum, do you think he'd talk to me about dragons_?" He stage whispered. She gave him a smile.

"If I get my way, you can ask him yourself, darling." She pet his hair with a fond smile.

"If you _get your way_? How do you know so much about us? Why does he call you mum?" Molly Weasley looked more confused than angry, her hands gripping the armrests of the chair. Her wide blue eyes flickered back and forth between her children and Dorea.

"As the Lady of three Houses, it would be foolish to not learn about this world. I have been searching for someone to care for Hadrian while I am at Hogwarts, you, Mrs Weasley, are a good candidate. You have seven children, one of which is Hadrian's age. Ronald." She inclined her head towards him. "As for why he calls me mum, he needs a mother figure, does he not? Aunt Petunia never stepped up, and Uncle Vernon, well, he wasn't good for anyone. Because, you see Madam, my aunt and cousin didn't like me, but my uncle liked me too much."

Mrs Weasley looked horrified by what she was insinuating.

"Why are you telling me all this?" She was visibly holding herself back from asking too many questions. She probably didn't want to overwhelm them. Why, Dorea didn't know, she was perfectly calm, inside and outside. Harry understood that the Dursleys were in the past and they were never going back, he trusted her with his life. Talking about them wouldn't cause him to panic. She smiled internally, what a funny woman.

"Because I want you to trust me, and adults seem to find people who give out too much information trustworthy. You may ask questions, you know. You don't need my permission."

Mrs Weasley nodded. "Could you please explain how you're the Lady of three Houses? As far as I know James only had the Potter House."

Dorea blinked. Such a simple question? Perhaps they were more invested in status than she thought they were. She really hated when she was wrong.

"Yes. The Potters were descended from the Noble and Most Ancient House of Peverell. I am Head of neither of those Houses, as they require a male heir, Harry. The Blacks, however, have no such qualms. My grandfather, Charlus, married my namesake, Dorea Black, so I was able to claim the Ladyship. My maternal grandfather, Gwillym Valerian Evans, was the last squib of the Noble and Most Ancient House of Selwyn. We are in the Selwyn Manor right now.

"My maternal grandmother, Hyacinth Edelweiss Weigand Evans, was the last direct squib descendant of the Noble and Most Ancient House of Weigand. I am still researching the Weigand House, but I believe there are still two squibs remaining in Austria, my grandmother's cousins, Adrian and Adelina Weigand."

Mrs Weasley started at the mention of the third House.

"The Weigands? But they–"

"They didn't die out in the war with Grindelwald, they simply went into hiding. As such, their fortune became immense, and I have the pleasure of having complete control over it. Now, Mrs Weasley, do you accept? Will you watch over Hadrian while I am at school?"

Mrs Weasley seemed to be calming herself down, and her sons were sitting rather slack jawed on the couch.

"Yes. I believe Ronald and Ginevra will welcome him, and the poor dear will need someone to watch over him. I'll be happy to." Ronald grinned at Hadrian, and Mrs Weasley gave him a soft smile. Dorea nodded, satisfied. The woman would take good care of him while she herself was gone.

"I would quite prefer it if you stayed with him in Selwyn Manor. It _is_ rather large, but Hadrian won't gain the Potter Lordship until his primary Majority, otherwise I would suggest staying at the Potter Manor, which is significantly smaller and more modest. As for your salary, I believe five Galleons a day should be more than satisfactory."

Mrs Weasley's expression betrayed shock, amazement, and something close to anger. Dorea sighed frustratedly and spoke up before Mrs Weasley could voice her indignation.

"I am well aware that you are not a charity case. I am also well aware that the average salary of a nanny or governess for a noble House is three galleons a week. I am hiring you to care for my brother, and I do not settle for the second best. I want to know with absolute certainty that Hadrian will be your first priority, and if you are worrying about things such as money, things I can _fix_ , then you will not be able to put him first above all else.

"As for why I would like you to stay here, I have a few reasons. The first being I will not ask you to take him into your home. I do not know if you have enough room, I do not _want_ to know if you have enough room. I am employing you as a full time nanny for my brother, and I will accommodate for you, and not the other way around. Your family will be welcome in my home as well, even your husband. I can have a house elf sent to your house for upkeep and all of your things can be brought here, including your perishable food items. Do you have any other concerns, Mrs Weasley?"

Mrs Weasley gave a wry smile. "I believe not, your Ladyship. When would you like for me to start?"

 

* * *

 

Over the next few months Hadrian became fast friends with Ronald and Ginevra, and Dorea grew just as close to the twins. They all spent quite a bit of time at the Selwyn Manor, making use of its many amenities such as the swimming pool and the large open back yard. They would sometimes play miniature games of Quiddich, but more often than not they just flew. Hadrian and Ginevra in particular took a great joy in zipping around the field as fast as they could, so much so that Dorea eventually gifted her a racing broom for her birthday in August.

Dorea and the twins, however, got up to as much mischief as they could. Once the twins discovered Dorea's incredible ability to lie, they immediately included her in their little group. Currently, they were only at the stage of silly little pranks that Dorea could cover up the planning of, but she knew that sometime soon they would progress to truly great feats of magic. She could hardly wait.

Dorea found there was something incredibly satisfying in getting the upper hand over an opponent, something that would only flourish over the years. She loved setting up successful pranks and had no qualms whatsoever against lying to get away with them. Mrs Weasley seemed to believe that the twins were framing poor Dorea for all their pranks.

When summer rolled around, Dorea and Hadrian were introduced to the remaining Weasleys: William, who had just finished his seventh year, Charles, who was going into his sixth year, and Percy, who was going into his third year. Charles regaled Hadrian with tales upon tales of dragons, so much so that Hadrian seemed to be becoming an expert. If Dorea wasn't careful she might find him running off to join a sanctuary with Charles.

William spent most of his time with his parents, discussing his future and the offer he had received from the goblins. He still found time to spend with his younger siblings, however, and Hadrian was often included. There were times when William would sit with Dorea under the large willow in the far corner of the yard and talk. Sometimes it was tips and tricks that made doing magic easier, sometimes he would talk about his family, but most times he would sit beside her and stare at the Weasleys playing out on the field, and he would explain people's emotions and drives. He would explain what each emotion felt like and how people would act when they felt it, what kind of things they would think and the things they would say. He would look deep in her eyes, searching, and she would _know_ , with all that she was, that he _knew_.

Percy was by far the quietest Weasley. He as well would sit with her, but they would discuss politics and the Ministry. He was the one who knew the most about her and Hadrian. Together they devised plans and strategies, ways that they could conquer the Wizengamot without them noticing. Their time together was second only to her time with the twins, in terms of enjoyment.

The Weasleys weren't the only ones Dorea and Hadrian met, there happened to be two other wizarding families residing in Ottery St Catchpole; the Lovegoods and the Diggorys, little families of three that lived on either side of the Burrow. Luna Lovegood was a year younger than Hadrian and lived with her parents Xenophilius and Pandora in the Rookery. Cedric Diggory was the same age as Dorea and the twins, his parents, Amos and Laetitia, were only a little younger than Mr and Mrs Weasley. All three families were purebloods, though the Weasleys were the closest to being nobility. There had actually been a Lord Weasley in the past, before they lost their fortune.

Sweet little Luna seemed to float about, her mind neither fully here nor there. Her bright blue eyes wide and smiling, though they seemed almost vacant at the best of times. She spoke as though she was dreaming, soft and lilting, each sound a precious butterfly. Her hair was the colour of white gold and Dorea loved to twist it up into elaborate styles filled with knots and braids. There were times when Luna would stop whatever she was doing, in a manner that would have been abrupt had it been anyone else, and gaze straight ahead. It was in those moments that Hadrian would lead her towards the nearest seat or patch of grass and nudge her gently into a sitting position. He would sit with her quietly until the moment passed.

In comparison, Cedric was just as friendly, though his presence was infinitely more solid than Luna's. Where Luna seemed to float through time and space, Cedric was firmly in the now. He believed that there was no use worrying about the future when the present was happening all around them. As the kindest of their group, it fell to him to keep their pranks from becoming cruel and tasteless.

Dorea knew they would all be placed in different Houses, however, and that Cedric's influence over their pranks would wear thin. She couldn't wait for them to be unleashed on the population of Hogwarts.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> By now you've probably realized that the tone I'm writing in is really formal, that's because Dorea thinks very formally. She's also incredibly biased, this is written from limited 3rd person, so you'll need to do a lot of reading in between the lines. 
> 
> Also, I know Rowling said that galleons are worth about 5 pounds, but I've always felt like they would be closer to 100 pounds so here is my take on the conversion.
> 
> 1G = 100£  
> 1S = 6£  
> 1K = 0.20£
> 
> I like to think that Arthur Weasely gets paid around 2 sickles an hour (12£/h), and if he works 9h a day, 6 days a week, then he gets 18S a day (108£) and 6G 6S a week (648£). That's about 330G 6S (33,700£) a year. Not enough for a family their size.
> 
> Anyway, this fic doesn't really have much direction. It feels like it'll become something of a 'slice of life' with stories about my OCs and how they interact with the wizarding world. I might go into wizarding politics with Dorea (I'm dreading the research, I know next to nothing about politics TTдTT). Also, Dorea won't go stealing Harry's limelight, she isn't like that. There'll be some things she'll try to stop him from doing, and others she'll encourage. 
> 
> Stay tuned, I guess? Just don't go hanging from the edge of your seat, haha. The story won't be abandoned, but monthly updates are still a bit of a stretch.


	4. The Beginning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dorea meets even more new people on the train to Hogwarts, and the kids get sorted.

_**Friday, September 1st, 1989** _

As far as train stations went, platform 9 3/4 at King's Cross was rather underwhelming. The Weasleys had been chattering on about it for the past month, so much so that Dorea had been expecting... Well she wasn't quite sure what she had been expecting, but it wasn't this.

The platform itself was the same as the muggle side, if a little older looking. And the families spread around in small clumps, while obviously magical, weren't anything Dorea wasn't used to seeing by now. The most exciting thing would have to have been the bright red Hogwarts Express, and that was mostly because Hadrian had been gaping at it since they first arrived.

"Okay dearies, it's time. Charlie, Bill, help the others get their trunks on the train. Go, go!" Mrs Weasley was shooing various redheads around the platform, herding them towards the scarlet engine. Mr Weasley took Dorea's trunk and helped her lift it onto the train. She smiled in thanks.

"George, Fred, find Cedric and a compartment, I'll follow in a moment," Dorea said. She then turned back to the remaining Weasleys. William was holding Ginevra's hand, and Ronald was standing beside Mrs Weasley and Hadrian, as close to the train as they could get. Mr Weasley was standing a little behind William.

"Hadrian, I'll see you at Yule. I love you, dearest, and I'll miss you." She gave him a hug and stepped back onto the train. "Ronald, William, Ginevra, I'll see you all at Yule as well. Mr and Mrs Weasley, I will be hosting a Yule event of some sort and would love it if you could attend."

Ronald groaned, "Why does Fred get to be called Fred instead of Frederic? Just call me Ron!"

"Because, Ronald, Frederic rhymes with Cedric, and if I called them rhyming names they'd never shut up. None of your other brothers object to being called their proper names, Ronald." Dorea gave a slight smirk as she used his full name again on purpose. He shot her a look of disgust.

"The twins are rubbing off on you. Besides, Bill and Charlie don't care, and Percy actually _likes_ being called Percival!" She gave him a bright grin.

"Exactly," she said, and spun on her heel, making her way down the aisle. It took her a minute but she eventually found the twins and Cedric in a compartment near the back.

"Can't wait till I can write to Ron," Fred was saying, "I'm gonna tell him we had to fight a troll." There was some laughter and Dorea could hear Cedric halfheartedly objecting. They were still snickering when she walked in.

"You know that won't last long, because Ronald will panic and tell Hadrian, and Hadrian will write to me and I'll have to refute it." The twins gave a heavy sigh in unison and Cedric started laughing again. "Speaking of letters, as you know, I've been writing to my extended family."

"Yeah," George cut in, "you've been writing to those Malfoys." He made a face and Fred made not so subtle gagging motions. Cedric frowned at them.

"I have managed to convince cousin Andromeda to allow cousin Alessandra to attend Hogwarts instead of Durmstrang. She was somewhat apprehensive of sending cousin Bellatrix's daughter to Hogwarts, but I reasoned that her name change should suffice."

The boys nodded. "She'll be welcome here, no matter what house she's in." Cedric said, giving the twins a side glance.

"In addition, the French branch of the Black family, the Blancs, have reached out and decided to send Océane Blanc to Hogwarts as well. Both Océane and Alessandra are in their first year as well, and they should both be on this train."

"Well then-" George started.

"We should go find them!" Fred finished, grinning.

"Let's go!" Cedric exclaimed, sliding the door open and almost running into a girl walking past. She had dark hair, hooded violet eyes, and a strong jaw. Dorea knew without question that this was Alessandra Tonks, adopted daughter of Andromeda Tonks, and biological daughter of Bellatrix Lestrange.

"Oh! Sorry!" Cedric exclaimed again, waving his hands around and almost running into Fred as he quickly stepped back.

"No! No, no it's fine! Ah-," Alessandra waved her hands back at him, as if brushing the words away.

"These two are-"

"Definitely Hufflepuffs." The twins said lowly, exchanging a look.

Dorea gave a light laugh, "Alessandra, allow me to introduce myself. I'm Dorea Potter-Black, your second cousin of a sort." The girl dropped her hands and looked wide-eyed at Dorea.

"Oh! Yes, Aunt Andy told me you would be here! Thank you so much, I always wanted to go to school with Dora!" Alessandra took Dorea's hands in hers and smiled widely.

"Also, please don't call me Alessandra, Aunt Andy is really bad at naming. Dora's trying to get everyone to call her Tonks, she hates her first name so much. Call me Lisette, it's my middle name." Lisette untangled their fingers and watched as the twins moved her trunk into the compartment.

"We were about to go looking for you and one of Dorea's other cousins. Wanna come with us?" Cedric offered.

"Actually, our group is getting big, and I think we should have some people stay with the trunks. Cedric, how about you and Lisette stay while the twins and I go looking. You're the least likely to get in trouble by yourselves, and besides, I have a feeling you might be in the same house." Dorea said. The two in question nodded their assent.

Lisette giggled, "Sounds like the twins are real troublemakers." The twins smirked and Cedric lead Lisette back into the compartment.

"You don't know the half of it! Just last month there was an incident involving a snake and a teakettle, Mrs Weasley was mad for days!"

Cedric was cut off as the door slid closed, and the trio made their way down the train.

"So, what does Océane look like?" Dorea paused, glancing at George, and continued walking.

"I haven't received a proper description of her. I believe she is rather short, 132 centimetres. The Blancs are also, ironically, dark skinned. The exact words were, quote unquote, 'short, black, angry, and French'."

"French isn't a very–"

"Good physical description, but–"

"We can work with short–"

"Black–"

"And angry."

"Also, did you say she was 132 centimetres?"

"Fred and I are 147 centimetres. Just how short is this French girl?"

"Short enough to punch you in a very soft spot with very little effort!"

Dorea poked her head into the compartment beside them and saw two girls sitting opposite each other, both looking at her. The girl on the left was very tall with wavy blood red hair and creamy porcelain skin, she was half smirking at the twins. The girl on the right fit the description Dorea had been given perfectly; she was very short, her feet dangled high above the ground. She had smooth dark skin — Dorea vaguely considered trying that colour on later — and wildly curly hair held in a top knot by a baby blue scrunchie.

The shorter girl was glaring at the twins and looked ready to jump off the seat and sock them right in the face, the only thing stopping her was not knowing which one she was angry at. She also looked like she was rapidly considering just punching both of them.

"Ah, we found her." The girl's head snapped to look at Dorea, all traces of anger gone from her expression. Dorea was grudgingly impressed, she had thought she was the only one who could do that.

"Vous êtes Océane Blanc, non? Je m'appelle Dorea Potter-Black, j'étais en contacte avec ta mère." _You are Océane Blanc, no? My name is Dorea Potter-Black, I've been in contact with your mother_. Dorea held out her hand and Océane reached out and clasped her hands in greeting.

"Ravi de vous rencontrer, Dame Dorea. My mother told me I would meet you on the train. Allow me to introduce my new friend, Gemma James." _Nice to meet you, Lady Dorea_. She gestured to the redhead sitting across from her.

"Nice to meet you too, Dorea. O and I just met on the platform, and we're getting along swimmingly. Like to sit with us?" She patted the seat beside her and brushed her bangs back, smiling. Dorea returned her smile but shook her head.

"Thank you, but I must decline. In fact, we came to invite you to sit with us. There are two more waiting with our trunks, Cedric Diggory and my second cousin Lisette Tonks. Will you come with us?" Océane smiled brightly.

"Pourquoi pas? Can you help us with our trunks?" _Why not_? She put both her knees on the seat and attempted to reach the trunks, Gemma easily reached over her and pulled them down. Fred immediately grabbed the first one and George helped Gemma with the second one. Together they traveled back down the length of the train to where Cedric and Lisette were sitting.

* * *

"So," Cedric asked once they were all settled down, "what's this I've been hearing about a Yule celebration?"

He was sitting next to Lisette beside the door, across from them sat the twins and Dorea, Océane had taken the the window seat across from Dorea, leaving Gemma to sit in between Océane and Lisette. Dorea was thankful that the compartments were so big, it meant that there was plenty of room for the seven of them, especially since they were so small as first years.

"Yes, I need to remind all the purebloods of the prestige of the House of Black. I've decided that the best way to do this is to host a party and invite a large number of influential purebloods families. The Malfoys have already agreed to attend and they will speak to some of their friends."

The twins looked at her.

"Us Weasleys–"

"Aren't exactly–"

"Suited for–"

"Fancy–

"Formal–"

"Festivities."

Océane looked horrified by the way the twins talked, while Gemma was laughing heartily, clutching her stomach. Dorea brushed away their worries with a simple hand motion.

"The Weasley family is very important to Hadrian and I. Besides, how else will Percival be able to gain enough connections to become the next Minister for Magic?" Fred and George groaned dramatically, throwing their hands up and falling all over each other.

" _Oooohhh_!"

" _Well_ , if it helps–"

" _Perilously_ –"

" _Pompous_ –"

" _Percival_ –"

"Become the Minister for Magic!"

"Our hands are–"

"Hopelessly tied!"

Cedric reached forward and flicked the two of them on their foreheads, causing them to yelp and fall on the floor.

"Shut up, idiots."

That was how Percival found them when he politely knocked on their door to inform them they should start changing into their robes. He took one look at the twins and sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. He offered the rest of the occupants a polite nod and then left.

* * *

Dorea sat perched at the end of the tiny boat. The twins were sitting facing each other in the middle and Cedric was looking back at all of them from the front.

The wooden boat bobbed along with all the others as they made their way to the castle in the distance. Dorea wondered offhand at the fact that they moved on their own.

The twins were chattering on about something or other, neither Cedric nor Dorea were listening. Cedric was craning his neck to see the castle, captivated by its majestic beauty. Dorea, however, was thinking about how they were going to be sorted.

She had been wondering which house she would end up in. Neither Gryffindor nor Hufflepuff suited her. To be brave you had to experience fear, and she knew she wouldn't fit in with how flashy they were. Hufflepuffs valued hard work and loyalty. Dorea knew that hard work was important, but loyalty was not something she could freely give. She knew she would end up either in Slytherin or Ravenclaw. It all came down to whether she would be sorted based on the skills she possessed or the skills she valued.

Dorea had a lot of cunning, it was very useful in the wizarding world, where everything was upside down and backwards. She would use her cunning constantly in order to protect her brother and family. If she was sorted based on ability she would go straight to Slytherin.

However, she hoped she would be placed in Ravenclaw. She needed to acquire a lot of knowledge, something she relished, and it would be the opposite of suspicious for her to spend hours researching. Based on what she had heard, Ravenclaws were seen as bookworms and know-it-alls, this would provide a great cover. The people of the wizarding world would not doubt her knowledge or intentions, even if only one was true. Ravenclaws were also respected in both dark and light circles.

Dorea could only hope to convince whoever it was sorting them to put her in Ravenclaw.

  
Dorea was quite used to functioning properly while deep in thought, and had managed to exit the boat and follow the rest of the first years without losing her train of thought or even giving any indication that she was concentrating on anything at all. The first years were all clustered in front of a large pair of double doors. The large man, Hagrid, had left them there to wait for a professor.

The doors opened slightly and a tall, stern looking woman walked in, her dark hair pulled back into a severe bun.

"I am Professor McGonagall, Head of Gryffindor House and Deputy Headmistress. I will also be your Transfiguration teacher. Now, each of the four Houses — Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, and Slytherin — has it's own noble history, and none are better than the others, despite what prejudices you might have heard. Your House will be like your family for the next seven years. If you would all follow me in a quiet and orderly fashion, the sorting ceremony is about to begin."

The Professor turned and opened the doors to the Great Hall.

Whispers echoed around the room, clearly the students weren't all that interest in the sorting. There was hardly anyone of importance to be sorted as far as they knew. Dorea could hardly fault them for not knowing a Potter was going to be sorted, nor that Bellatrix's daughter would be there as well.

The first years filed into the Great Hall, most glancing anxiously around at all the older students. Dorea caught sight of two identical heads bent close together, clearly whispering. The twins in front of her had straight black hair, quite different from here own Weasley twins. She was surprised to see another pair of twins at Hogwarts, she had expected hers to be the only ones there.

The hall grew quiet and Dorea was stunned as the ratty old hat sitting on a stool in front of the dais opened a strange, fabric mouth and started to sing.

After that, the sorting passed rather quickly. Dorea made note of some of the interesting people. Océane was one of the first to be sorted, and she went to Slytherin without much of a fuss. Cristo, Heidi went to Gryffindor. Cristo wasn't a magical name, so she must have been a muggleborn, but she clearly came from a rich family. Cedric was after her. He went into Hufflepuff, just as they had expected. Then came the twins Dorea had seen earlier. Fujioka Hiyori and Fujioka Shion both went to Ravenclaw. After them was Gemma James, Océane's friend. She joined Océane in Slytherin. Another muggleborn caught Dorea's eye, a girl named Gwen Morgan. There was something different about her, something Dorea couldn't quite put her finger on. She joined Cedric in Hufflepuff.

Dorea stood in the small remaining clump of first years, waiting for her name to be called. A couple students were sorted after the strange Hufflepuff, Morgan. None of them were important.

"Potter-Black, Dorea," McGonagall called, clearly startled by the additional surname. Dorea walked towards the dais and sat down, placing the hat on her head. She saw Fred and George watching her and sent them a smile.

'Well well well, what do we have here? My, you've already put a lot of thought into this. You could be great in Slytherin, you know.'

Dorea did, in fact, know. She _could_ be great in Slytherin, but she could and would be _great_ in any house. Ravenclaw was much less controversial.

'Quite true. Well, there's no other option!'

"RAVENCLAW," the hat shouted, and Dorea made her way to the long bench under the blue and bronze banner. She sat next to the twins, eager to make new allies, and waited to see Lisette, Fred, and George get sorted.


End file.
